Thoughts and impressions from our travels, including India, Thailand, and other places.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Dinner at the Tavern

On our weekly evening bazaar outing, we went to the Tavern. It is a restaurant that has served Woodstock staff and students frequently since its opening in the 1970s.

On the way we passed a wedding band heading to Library Bazaar.

Before our meal arrived, the condiments came. They were: onions, achar (Indian pickle), and coriander chutney. Dan is especially fond of these onions. Frequently they've been soaked in vinegar and are slightly pickled.

Dan's dish was paneer sauteed with vegetables and a very small amount of gravy.

I was feeling nostalgic, so I had the American Chop Suey, a favorite from over 30 years ago. It consists of light crispy Chinese noodles, sauteed vegetables and chicken shreds in a sweet and sour sauce. All topped with a fried egg. I have no idea why this is called American; it's like nothing I've had in the States. There is also a Chinese Chop Suey on the menu; I think it has soft noodles. Chinese food in India is a particular cuisine, not that much like China, or so I've been told. Of course Chinese food in America isn't very authentic, either.

While we were waiting for our meal, I enjoyed watching the clothing shop proprietor across the street and down on the main level (the Tavern is on the second [English/Indian first] floor. A customer looked at more than a dozen shirts and jackets, then left. The shopkeeper refolded each item and replaced it in its plastic bag. This is a common sight; if you are shopping, you can expect to have many items pulled out and shown to you. If you don't buy one, they don't seem to be upset by the mess.